Pratchett beat off stiff competition from the likes of Sue Townsend and John Lanchester to scoop the award, which is the UK's leading comic fiction gong.

Snuff is the 39th book in the Discworld series and Pratchett's 50th title overall, as well as the third title from the author to be shortlisted for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize.

He was previously nominated for Thief of Time in 2002, Going Postal in 2005 and Thud in 2006, before finally triumphing this year with his latest work, which became the third fastest-selling book in history in the UK upon its release.

It is perhaps fitting that Snuff won the award, as the Independent described the book as being 'as funny as Wodehouse and as witty as Waugh' in its review last October.

Pratchett was presented with the prizes - a jeroboam of Bollinger Special Cuvee, a case of Bollinger La Grande Annee and a set of the Everyman Wodehouse collection, as well as a locally bred Gloucestershire Old Spot pig – ahead of the 2012 Hay Festival.

Peter Florence, judge of the prize and director of the festival, said he was pleased to see the 64-year-old author finally triumph: 'I am thrilled he's won in this 25th anniversary year of the festival. He's consistently funny, inventive and with an acute, satirical view of the world.'